Our March break holiday is coming to an unfortunate end. Six days skiing on fresh new powder have left me in a weakened state. Late nights of eating, drinking and making merry have also taken their toll. Is it possible to come off a holiday more tired than when you started?

Despite two trips to emergency, this year’s holiday was one of the bests. You know it’s a good holiday when….

1. You wake up and have no idea what day of the week it is
2. You wake up every morning in a great mood - a direct result of the fun you had the night before
3. The only important decisions you have to make each day are: where to ski, who you’re skiing with and what’s for dinner
4. Your kids are getting along and not fighting with each other
5. You’re the one making most of the noise while playing with your kids
6. The dog doesn’t want to come home
7. You haven’t checked your email for a whole week (well at least a couple of days)
8. You’re already planning next year’s holiday
9. You fantasize about living there year round

I invite you to fill in the rest.

Happy Easter.

Cheers,

Julie

The road to paradise can be a bumpy one, particularly if your child gets car sick. Over 58% of kids ages four to 10 experience some form of motion sickness, occurring more frequently in girls than boys. The good news is they will usually outgrow it.

Joanne, a mother of four young boys, who all suffer from motion sickness, knows only too well the challenges of taking car trips with her young nausea prone family. “We can barely go two blocks before we have to pull over because someone is feeling sick,” she explains.

According to the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto, motion sickness occurs when two different messages conflict in a child’s brain. One of the messages comes from a part of the inner ear responsible for controlling your child’s balance. The other message comes from the child’s eye. Motion sickness is a normal response to perception of motion where there is sensory conflict. It can occur when traveling by car, boat, airplane or amusement rides. I personally can get motion sickness just on swings.

If your children suffer from car sickness, here are some ways to deal with it:

How to Avoid and Treat Motion Sickness

• It’s recommended to avoid heavy meals up to two hours before traveling
• Avoid foods like dairy, protein, deep-fried or high in sodium like chips or french fries
• Have the child try to focus on a point outside the car on the horizon
• Make sure the child’s seat is facing forward
• Open the window - fresh air can bring a lot of relief
• Have the child close their eyes
• CD’s, cassettes and even watching a DVD all help the child focus on something else
• Frequent stops
• Medication -if taking gravel it should be taken before the trips starts
• Ginger (powder, fresh root, tea, liquid)has also been proven to be just as effective as dramamine in treating nausea

I’ve learned from our own personal experience that watching DVD’s and sleep are the best way to avoid car sickness. It’s also a good idea to keep a supply of zip lock bags and wipes tucked in the backseat pockets just in case you can’t pull over.

If you have a remedy, please share it with us in the comment section.

Cheers,

Julie

While most of eastern Canada is still digging out from the heaps of snow they’ve had piled on them, here on the west coast it’s practically spring. The grass is green, the crocuses purple, white and yellow heads are in full bloom, and the cheery tree blossoms are just about to burst open. Oh yeah, and it’s raining.

Cottaging on the west coast, especially during March break, is a bit of a crap shoot. You might get some sunshine, but best not to count on it. If you’re planning on renting a cabin for the spring break pack your rain gear: gortex shell and pants, fleece and rubber boots.

As far as activities go we won’t be doing any snowmobiling or skating at our cabins. It’s more like walks on the beach looking for treasures carried in by the winter storms or weather permitting going for a kayak.

If your cabin in on the ocean, it’s also a good time to do some whale watching as the gray whales are migrating. In fact, from March 15 - 23, 2008 Tofino’s is hosting its annual Gray Whale festival. Up and down the shore the blow-spout mist can be spotted as the whales come up for air.

In order to stave off bordeom and subsequent fights, I plan lots of day trips for the kids as March is typically a very rainy month. Some of our favourites are Coombs Country Market for breakfast or ice cream (see Goats on the Roof article). Going swimming at the Ravensong Aquatic Centre, and if we’re feeling really adventurous Mount Washington is only a 45 minute drive and from there we can skiing, snowshoeing or tubing.

It’s very different from cottaging in eastern Canada; there’s no ice fishing in fact our lake never freezes. We won’t be snowmobiling or building snow forts, but we do manage to have a good time - west coast style.

Cheers,

Julie

Rarely does a person have an opportunity to see a highway being built. It’s even rarer to see a cliff moved from one side of the road to the other, literally. Driving the sea to sky highway, I am witnesses to massive rock walls being blasted to bits. The bits are then moved to the other side of the road, and poured into forms to create a road literally out of thin air.

According to a recent article in the Globe and Mail’s weekend edition, From Sea to Sky, a Superhighway, there are between 600 to 800 people moving 2.4 million cubic meters of fill. In some areas, the crew building the retaining walls to support the new road has to be tethered like mountain climbers.

Driving a highway which has about 400 accidents a year is daunting. Prior to departing to, or from Whistler, we always wish our friends a safe trip. We know the road and we know what’s possible.

Last year coming home from a couple’s golf weekend, our friends, who left five minutes after us, were involved in a head-on collision. It was a bright sunny day with clear roads. The driver of the other car fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the median. Their car was a write off (fortunately they drove a Volvo), but they were OK, save a few scrapes and bruises.

While there is no doubt the current highway is treacherous for the some 14,000 vehicles that use it daily, I don’t relish the thought of adding an additional 8,000 cars. The road is being upgraded to accommodate more cars at faster speeds. Unlike the 401 in southern Ontario, the sea to sky highway cannot be driven fast, no matter how many lanes they add.

The upside of the upgrade is the road will have an anti-skid surface, improved lighting, roadside reflective paint, and median barriers. Personally, I’d be happy if they just added reflectors and painted the edge of the road. Currently, I follow the tails lights in front of me for direction.

The new highway is also purported to shave 15 minutes off my commute time. While the price tag for the new road is pegged at $775 million, if it saves lives it will be priceless.

Cheers,

Julie

One snowmobiler is confirmed dead and another body remains buried in what the Canadian Avalanche Centre is reporting their deadliest season yet. “Canada has never seen this many fatalities this early in the season,” states to Greg Johnson, an avalanche forecaster with the Canadian Avalanche Centre.

Four avalanche slides were trigger yesterday in British Columbia. Two separate avalanches, both in southern interior near Grand Forks region, caught snowmobilers off guard, resulting in their deaths. Two other slides were also reported, one at Big White ski resort, near Kelowna, where a snowboarder remains unaccounted for, and the other on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler. While two skiers were partially buried at Big White, ski patrollers were on the scene and quickly dug them out. According to Johnson, rescuers are continuing their search for the missing snowboarder.

Johnson attributes the high mortality rate to the province’s unusual snow pack. “We have had fluctuating temperatures, followed by rain, and then cold and now heavy snow.” It’s not necessary the amount of snow, he explains, but the ability of the snow pack to adjust and stabilize to the added weight of the new snow.

The weaknesses or faults become buried deep in the snow. Avalanches occur when the pack becomes destabilized. The southern interior’s snow pack is creating a dangerous situation and poses significant avalanche concern from Rossland to Castlegar, to Fernie and now Kelowna, Johnson cautions. “They are bigger. They are more dangerous and there is very little chance you will escape if you become caught in one,” he warns.

He recommends people venturing into these areas to go back country skiing, or snowmobiling, educate themselves first. “Check the avalanche reports, talk to local guides and make sure you know the conditions of the area your in.”

I must admit, having spoken to Greg at the start of the season, my heart sinks every time I open the paper and read about another avalanche fatality. Please play safe.

Cheers,

Julie

Whistler is filled with hidden treasures. Every time we come here, we discover a few more gems. The snow this week is  phenomenal. It’s like someone turned on the snow tap and forget to shut it off. It’s spewing like an out of control garden hose. Skiing down Ptarmigan, there is so much powder I get stuck and have to cross-country ski my way out, passing a snowboarder, buried to his waist in the fluffy stuff.

There is not enough room to list all of Whistler’s good qualities, but here are a few of my favourite moments.

1. Taking a break from skiing to enjoy a cup of white hot chocolate from the Second Cup (located in the village beside Lululemon)
2. Tubing on the #7 black diamond run at the Tube park (we rope all four tubes together - thrilling doesn’t even begin to describe it)
3. Dusty’s for Happy Hour today - it’s crazy busy and we have to sit on the pool table, but the wings make it all worth while.
4. Snowball fight/snowball war with the kids on our way home from the hill.
5. Walking around Nita Lake on one of the many trails that surrounds the Village.
6. The friendly hellos and greetings from the lifties. The staff that operate the chairs come from all over the world to experience Whistler. It’s their enthusiasm and vitality that make the village a fun place to hang out, especially on Aussie Day.
7. The Fire and Ice show that takes place in the village every Sunday night (see above photo)
8. Skiing with my buddy, Jean, who is a level four ski instructor. Part coach, part tour guide, I have never skied so many black diamond runs in my life. Thank you Jean, for getting me down in one piece.

I could list the best restaurants, bars, and pizza joints, but part of the fun of Whistler is discovering them on your own. O.K. if you absolutely must know, according to the Pique Newsmagazine, here are some of the winners for 2007:

1. Rimrock Cafe voted best overall restaurant, best dessert - sticky toffee pudding, best service, and best place to go if someone else is paying
2. Samurai Sushi - best value & best take-out restaurant
3. Tapas - Urban Tapas Parlour
4. Steak - Hy’s Steakhouse (although the 3rd place winner - Ric’s Grill is my favourite, and good place to go if you have kids)
5. Best Burger - Spitz Grill
6. Breakfast - Wildwood Cafe (locals also love Southside diner at Creekside)
7. Apres Ski bar - The GLC - Giribaldi Lift Company (Dusty’s came in second)

Tomorrow wraps up our holiday. You know it’s a good one when nobody wants to go home.

Cheers,

Julie

It’s not a family holiday without at least one trip to emergency. Usually it’s to replace a forgotten asthma inhaler, sometimes it’s croup, we’ve even had the odd ear infection. Today when the phone rang at 2:30 p.m., it was the Whistler Kid’s Centre informing us that our daughter had hit a pole and was on her way to the hospital. Neither my husband or I were prepared for this one.

Fortunately, she’s OK. Her face is bruised, but other than flatly refusing to go skiing tomorrow, she will be just fine. Which is good, because in all the commotion, she lost her skis. Sigh.

Today’s skiing is pretty good. The crowds on the Blackcomb side, where the above photo is taken, are pretty thick, possibly the result of a couple of chairs being closed due to high winds. Apparently it’s quieter over at Creekside - a better bet in high winds.

Finding a good place to eat that’s not crazy busy can be a bit of a challenge. You definitely need dinner reservations or be prepared to wait it out in the bar. We often have a big lunch and then make a lite dinner in the condo. Our favourite lunch spot is located right in the village above the gondola entrance, The Garibaldi Lift Company, also voted best apres ski bar by the Pique, is a great place to grab a bowl of soup or a loaded pizza. The service is fast and friendly, and the food costs the same here as it does on top of the hill. I highly recommend getting there before noon if you want to snag a table.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Best of Whistler winners.

Cheers,

Julie

Eighteen centimeters last night and another 20 forecasted for tomorrow. Does it get any better than this? Driving the Sea to Sky highway the scenery changes from lush green landscape to lush green landscape, at least until you come to Squamish. Then it goes from green to gray to slushy. Right around the Black Tusk turnoff, things start to get downright wintery.

The closer we get to Whistler, the bigger the snowbanks. This picture was taken earlier today in the village. Snowbanks like these can only mean one thing - awesome snow.

After unpacking, we grab the toboggans and head over to Blackcomb. The lower part of the hill is lit, making it an ideal spot to toboggan after the chairs shut down. Under a clear night sky, the mountain comes alive with other sledders from all over the world. We race two boys from Mexico to the bottom. Next to skiing, sledding provides some good cheap thrills.

After a hot tub and a yummy dinner we are ready to call it a day. The chairs open at 8:30 a.m. and I hope to be first in line.

Stay tuned for best lunch spots tomorrow.

Cheers,

Julie

The tree is down; the ornaments adorning it are stowed away for another year, and the decorations are pretty well all put away. Christmas is done for another year. Does that mean the fun is over? Not on your life. In fact, the party is just getting started. It’s time to hit the road and head to Whistler.

Whistler is to Vancouver, what cottaging is to Ontario. Doesn’t matter where you live, it’s all about the escape. Like a child counting down to Christmas, I have been waiting patiently for this today to arrive. The start of ski season. Work and life seem to have gotten in the way lately, preventing me from hitting the slopes sooner, but stand back baby, cause today is the day.

CottageDaily.com is hitting the slopes, and for the next five days I will be treating you to Whistler’s hidden gems. Best happy hour (OK, it’s Dusty’s hands down), best kid friendly restaurant, as well as some other hot spots. Reports from friends are indicating excellent snow conditions, but I can’t wait to find out for myself.

Stay tuned - snow report to follow.

Cheers,

Julie

Her pink ski jacket twirls around like a cone in a candy floss machine. Her shrieks of laughter echoed off the forests walls as we stop to stare at her. Her arms are stretched high in the air as her body spins around and around. The tube she is riding in picks up speed with every turn, until it reaches the bottom. Shaking her head she attempts to steady herself and shake off her dizzy fog, as she tumbles out of her tube.

Handing my plastic ring to the attendant, I plunk myself into my own frozen purple circle of fun. I arch my back, taking care to protect my derrieri from any surprise bumps on the ride to the top. The rope jerks, spinning my tube around, as I dragged up the hill to go tubing.

It’s a beautiful blue sky day. We are at Cypress Mountain’s tube park located on Vancouver’s north shore mountains. This is tobogganing at it’s finest. Smooth groomed slopes, with walls high enough to prevent people from crossing over, await us. Attendants hold our tubes while we ready ourselves. There are four of us wanting to go down together. We throw our rope with ring into the tube and then hop in - legs and arms sticking out on 90 degree angles. One hand grasping our own handle and one hand steadying our kids’ handles. Samantha, a young high school student, gives us a big push, launching us down the run. Quickly, we pick up speed. I look over at Jillian, my six-year-old, worried that she is going to start crying, but all I see is a smile, an ear-to-ear grin. The thrills come fast and furious, but before we know it, we’re at the bottom. We pile out, eager to do it again and again.

Snow tubing is one of those activities that anyone can do, provided they’re over four feet tall. All you need are winter boots, warm mitts, hat, ski jacket, snow pants and ideally sunglasses or goggles. According to the Snow Valley website, tubers hit speeds of up to 80 km/hr. Surprisingly no one is wearing helmets, but then again, no one falls out of their tube. Speed and fear are good deterrents. It’s cost about $18 for two hours and includes tube rental.

Our kids love it, but the long line ups for the rope tow dampen their enthusiasm. While Bill and I are eager to keep going, are children are done after two hours. This is a great family activity, or if you have visitors who are getting cabin fever, head for the hills. A word of caution though, we were tubing on a groomed controlled track. If you are sledding or tobogganing anywhere else, wear a helmet especially if it’s icy or there are rocks or trees.

If you are interested in trying it, go to Playday.com, to find a tube park in your area or call your local ski hill to see if they offer it. I’m not sure what is more fun, water tubing or snow tubing, but they both provide a thrilling ride.

Has anyone else tried this ridiculously fun winter activity?

Cheers,

Julie